In the mid-80s, Cannon Films owned the film rights to Spider-Man and were planning on making a Spider-Man movie. What canned this project were flops like Masters of the Universe and Superman IV. If those films were succesful and they didnt face bankruptcy, the film likely would have been made. If such a film had been made and came out in the late 80s (likely either 88 or 89) what would it be like, who would the cast consist of, how would the reception be, and how would it affect future marvel films?
WI: A Spider-Man film in the late 80s?
- Thread starter Hadley
- Start date
I think the ideal late-80s Peter Parker would have to be Matthew Broderick. (My own timeline, An Alternate Rise of the Blockbuster, has him playing Spider-Man in a trilogy of films released 1985, 1987 & 1989.)
The Video Junkie strike back blog had a excellent article on the history of Cannon films and it attempt to make a spiderman film in the 1980's.
Albert Pyun as Director. That who were thinking of at one time
http://originalvidjunkie.blogspot.com/2010/06/never-got-made-file-19-look-out-here.html
Albert Pyun as Director. That who were thinking of at one time
http://originalvidjunkie.blogspot.com/2010/06/never-got-made-file-19-look-out-here.html
The problem is that this is the era of Ferris Beuller's Day Off and Project X. At this point, Broderick would come off as a little too smarmy. Basically he has all the right answers, which Peter never has except when under, say, the Symbiote.
Frankly, I would have chosen Michael J. Fox or Emilio Estavez.
As I wrote in a previous thread:
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Michael J. Fox as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Wilford Brimley as Uncle Ben
Betty White as Aunt May
Elizabeth Shue as Gwen Stacy
Molly Ringwald as Mary Jane Watson
Thomas F. Wilson as Flash Thompson
Hulk Hogan as Himself
Dann Florek as J. Jonah Jameson
Ralph Macchio or Matt Dillon as Harry Osborn
Jeffery Jones as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
Mickey Rourke as Flint Marko/Sandman
Charlie Sheen as Quinten Beck/Mysterio
Geena Davis with a Dye Job as Felicia Hardy/Black Cat
John Goodman as Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus
Bruce Campbell as Kraven
Cynthia Rothick as Silver Sable
Peter Scholari as John Jameson
Patrick Swayze as Eddie Brock/Venom
Frankly, I would have chosen Michael J. Fox or Emilio Estavez.
As I wrote in a previous thread:
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Michael J. Fox as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Wilford Brimley as Uncle Ben
Betty White as Aunt May
Elizabeth Shue as Gwen Stacy
Molly Ringwald as Mary Jane Watson
Thomas F. Wilson as Flash Thompson
Hulk Hogan as Himself
Dann Florek as J. Jonah Jameson
Ralph Macchio or Matt Dillon as Harry Osborn
Jeffery Jones as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
Mickey Rourke as Flint Marko/Sandman
Charlie Sheen as Quinten Beck/Mysterio
Geena Davis with a Dye Job as Felicia Hardy/Black Cat
John Goodman as Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus
Bruce Campbell as Kraven
Cynthia Rothick as Silver Sable
Peter Scholari as John Jameson
Patrick Swayze as Eddie Brock/Venom
I get the feeling from the output of Cannon of the era and vibe of the era that it would stink on ice, like Punisher, Captain America, Superman IV, etc.
Thande
Donor
But Spider-Man (at least if told from the start as it invariably is) is a story about a teen with super powers running up against real life problems, and the 80s did that kind of story very well.
Potentially, but just as potentially not.
EDIT: I know the media of that era well because I was soaked in its VHS and pop culture as a child of the early 90s growing up with everyone still stuck in the 80s and with a family owned video store. It would get a cult following regardless, but film releases could be schlock. Non-CGI schlock, mind you, and thus a plus, but still schlock.
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I love most of your cast, but this just struck me: Michael J. Fox is 5'4"; Geena Davis is 6' in bare feet. I can't envision how you could make the two of them work on screen together unless you're going for total camp.
Felicia always struck me as the unlikeliest of Peter's canon love interests. And even then, she was always the one bending down when they were kissing standing up.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: A GOLAN-GLOBUS PRODUCTION, BY THE CANNON GROUP
Young Peter Parker (David Palffy - Peter Parker, Ernie Reyes, Jr. - Spider-Man [in suit]) is a student at Empire University who is bitten by a spider in a laboratory, granting him mysterious radioactive and mystical powers. Peter first tries to use his strength for personal gain in a wrestling match (against Michael Dudikoff), but when his Uncle Ben (Darren McGavin) is killed by a mugger Peter could have stopped, he turns his powers against the criminals of New York City! But complications arise when Peter must hide his identity from his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Kathy Ireland), and her suspicious, Spider-Man hating father - NYPD Captain George Stacy (Chuck Norris)! Trouble enough without the appearance of a famous hunter named Kraven (Jean-Claude Van Damme) looking to hunt the deadliest game of all - Spider-Man!
Young Peter Parker (David Palffy - Peter Parker, Ernie Reyes, Jr. - Spider-Man [in suit]) is a student at Empire University who is bitten by a spider in a laboratory, granting him mysterious radioactive and mystical powers. Peter first tries to use his strength for personal gain in a wrestling match (against Michael Dudikoff), but when his Uncle Ben (Darren McGavin) is killed by a mugger Peter could have stopped, he turns his powers against the criminals of New York City! But complications arise when Peter must hide his identity from his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Kathy Ireland), and her suspicious, Spider-Man hating father - NYPD Captain George Stacy (Chuck Norris)! Trouble enough without the appearance of a famous hunter named Kraven (Jean-Claude Van Damme) looking to hunt the deadliest game of all - Spider-Man!
Question is, when are you setting this? If this is the origin, you don't need Venom, Cat, Sable, John Jameson, or Kraven. Actually, you don't really need anybody but Doc Oc & Gobby.Kalvan said:
As for the casting, I like Michael as Peter. Much as I love Elizabeth, tho, she doesn't have the glam for it. You need more Christie Brinkley. Rebecca Romijn? Genie Francis? Molly Ringwald's too "girl next door", too: she was a model, don't forget. For that, I'm thinking... Demi with a dye job? Too young? Not beautiful enough?
I see it as a franchise starting in 1985.
First movie is the origin. Primary villain is Doc Ock. Features the death of Dennis Quaid as Capt. George Stacy.
Second Movie is the Death of Gwen Stacy. Sandman and Mysterio are secondary villains. Also introduced is Felicia Hardy as Black Cat.
Third Movie is Kraven's Last Hunt. There's a subplot of Peter being in a love square with Mary Jane and Silver Sable. It will end with Parker and Mary Jane an item, Harry finding out that Peter is Spidey, and John Jameson returning from space with something funny in a box...
Fourth movie is the OTL Sam Raimi Spider-Man 3, complete with Peter finding out that Flint was the partner of the guy who killed Uncle Ben just as he escapes for Round Two, except that the Symbiote comes to Pete through an accident involving John Jamison, and Eddie doesn't get the Symbiote until the stinger.
Fith Movie is Venom, and the climax of the series until a presumed reboot in the New Millenium.
What about having River Phoenix as Peter Parker? He may be too young for it though...
I'm wracking my brain here, but I'm pretty sure that Black Cat would still be considered a minor character around the mid 80's when these films could be planned. She was present and the relationship was certainly growing, but in the mind of the general public, Mary Jane would probably be considered the love interest for Peter Parker, not Felicia Hardy and be a better fit for a more successful movie.
That said, the 80's were not a good time for a Marvel movie. There had not been a successful marvel theatrical release ever at that point. The first Marvel property to get the theatrical treatment was "Howard the Duck" in 1986 and it flopped. It would be another 12 years before Marvel had a hit movie and that was "Blade" All of the other Marvel "movies" were on TV in the late 70's to late 80's and the later ones (Hulk series) were not very good and recent enough to be in the public memory. They could turn the general public off from the films. I don't think an 80's, good Spider-man movie could happen and be successful.
Now, it might be possible to get a Spider-man movie in the 90's, with a good push from Marvel in response to the Batman series.
Torqumada
That said, the 80's were not a good time for a Marvel movie. There had not been a successful marvel theatrical release ever at that point. The first Marvel property to get the theatrical treatment was "Howard the Duck" in 1986 and it flopped. It would be another 12 years before Marvel had a hit movie and that was "Blade" All of the other Marvel "movies" were on TV in the late 70's to late 80's and the later ones (Hulk series) were not very good and recent enough to be in the public memory. They could turn the general public off from the films. I don't think an 80's, good Spider-man movie could happen and be successful.
Now, it might be possible to get a Spider-man movie in the 90's, with a good push from Marvel in response to the Batman series.
Torqumada
The Cast:
River Phoenix as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Winona Ryder as Mary Jane Watson
Lauren Bacall as Aunt May Parker
Gregory Peck as Uncle Ben Parker
Christina Applegate as Gwen Stacy
Corey Haim as Harry Osborn
Tom Berenger as Norman Osborne/The Green Goblin
Josh Brolin as Flash Thompson
Shelley Winters as Anna Watson
Edward Herrmann as J. Jonah Jameson
Richard Roundtree as Robbie Robertson
LL Cool J as Randy Robertson
"Macho Man" Randy Savage as Crusher
Robin Williams as Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus
I think if Masters of the Universe and Superman IV had been more successful at the box office and after the blockbuster success of Warner Brother's Batman in the summer of 1989, they would made this film in 1989 and released it in 1990.
River Phoenix as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Winona Ryder as Mary Jane Watson
Lauren Bacall as Aunt May Parker
Gregory Peck as Uncle Ben Parker
Christina Applegate as Gwen Stacy
Corey Haim as Harry Osborn
Tom Berenger as Norman Osborne/The Green Goblin
Josh Brolin as Flash Thompson
Shelley Winters as Anna Watson
Edward Herrmann as J. Jonah Jameson
Richard Roundtree as Robbie Robertson
LL Cool J as Randy Robertson
"Macho Man" Randy Savage as Crusher
Robin Williams as Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus
I think if Masters of the Universe and Superman IV had been more successful at the box office and after the blockbuster success of Warner Brother's Batman in the summer of 1989, they would made this film in 1989 and released it in 1990.
I have real doubts about making Cat so important so soon. I'm also seeing this being heavily biased toward '80s characters, which will serve the non-fan (maybe) & the new fan (probably), but will (certainly) put off the established (older) fan (of which I would count myself, & I was never a regular reader). So, ISTM, you're undercutting your strongest customer, the long-time fan.
Making Sandman, Mysterio, & Black Cat central, & never even featuring Gobby, who's been a recurring central figure in Spidey for 30yr...?
Then spending two films on Venom? You're going to have long-time fans screaming before the end of the second film, & not coming back.She would be. She'd barely been introduced. The question is, are you aiming at the established (older) Spidey reader, or the new fan, or the non-fan? "X-Men" has gone for the non-fan, more or less, with an origin story & sequels. (I'm not a fan of origin stories, but I do understand why they're necessary in a film. I'd far rather there be "origin flashbacks".
)Agreed. IMO, you need to kill Gwen in the first film. And you need Gobby to be a strong presence in at a minimum the first two films, & Harry as Gobby (or go to Hobgoblin) in the finale.Torqumada said:
One thing you can do with Spidey films, tho, is cameo other Marvel characters to tie into other films: Spidey's encountered just about everybody in the MU. (Even a passing cameo with no dialog. Think of IF 8.
)Do you know why that was?Torqumada said:
Regrettably, I think that's true.Torqumada said:
I have real doubts about making Cat so important so soon. I'm also seeing this being heavily biased toward '80s characters, which will serve the non-fan (maybe) & the new fan (probably), but will (certainly) put off the established (older) fan (of which I would count myself, & I was never a regular reader). So, ISTM, you're undercutting your strongest customer, the long-time fan.
[/QOUTE]
Except that Mary Jane is introduced in the first movie. She just isn't really interested in Peter until Movie Three, being the love intrest of Harry for movie one and most of Movie Two, until his mad-on at Spidey for killing his dad starts to affect their relationship.
Making Sandman, Mysterio, & Black Cat central, & never even featuring Gobby, who's been a recurring central figure in Spidey for 30yr...?
But Gwen dies roughly 3/5 through the second movie at the hands of the Green Goblin, making this one much darker. I said that Sandman and Mysterio were secondary villains in movie two, didn't I?
As for Venom, technically, we only see Eddie Brock get the Symbiote in the stinger during the closing credits, setting up the final movie of the series.
She would be. She'd barely been introduced. The question is, are you aiming at the established (older) Spidey reader, or the new fan, or the non-fan? "X-Men" has gone for the non-fan, more or less, with an origin story & sequels. (I'm not a fan of origin stories, but I do understand why they're necessary in a film. I'd far rather there be "origin flashbacks".
Felicia had been around in the books for eight years by this time. Also, just like the books, by the end of the second movie, it will become obvious that Peter and Felicia simply don't have a future together, at least to everyone but possibly those two.
I am aiming it at the non-fan. That means means that this time we need an origin.
Also, I want to Peter's romance with Mary Jane to go slowly. It's not the forbidden puppy love crush it was in the Raimi movies, it starts out more like When Harry Met Sally, minus the faked orgasm at the restaurant. Much like Ringwald's role in The Breakfast Club, she's the queen bee clique snob everyone would love to hate if she weren't so beautiful. Much like what would have been Michael J. Fox's roles in OTL's Teen Wolf and Back to the Future, he's the ugly loser with creepy intrests in disgusting things like entomology and materials engineering.
Eventually, though, those handsome and rich men she's been dating in high school and now her modelling and acting career really start to wear, especially when they start bearing grudges against urban legends for killing close kin. And it's becomming obvious that other boyfriends, like, say, the son of the publisher of the third largest daily in the city simply see her as just another stepping stone for their respective careers, too. Meanwhile, Peter keeps getting to all sorts of trouble because the girls he gets involved with after Gwen dies keep getting him into such sticky situations. They both just want someone, well, relatively normal and well adjusted, even if it takes a while to realise it's each other.
I am debating whether or not having Harry hire one of the Hobgoblins (Either Jason MacKendale or someone else) or else Rowdy Roddy Piper as MacDonald Gargan (Scorpion) to get revenge on Peter once he finds out Peter's Spider-Man, or just become a new Goblin himself.
One thing you can do with Spidey films, tho, is cameo other Marvel characters to tie into other films: Spidey's encountered just about everybody in the MU. (Even a passing cameo with no dialog. Think of IF 8.
Well, I plan to include cameos of Tandy Bowen, Angelica Jones, and Johnny Storm as Peter's classmates, Matt Murdoch as a Manhattan ADA, Marc Spector as a cabbie in Movie Three, and maybe maybe have Sable reminice about a former stringer for the Wild Bunch, a woman with a British accent who had a simmilar fashion sense, level of strength, and costume theme and ask if they might be related. I think I might even have Peter crash through the window of Josie's Bar (or introduce Kraven by having him visit there and raise a ruckus) and have the Daily Bugle assign Peter to cover a charity fundraiser hosted by Danny Rand.
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On reflection, I think I could live with it.
On reflection, I could probably live with that, too, given the balance between fan & non-fan.
Noted. I never liked him, nor the idea of the symbiote suit.
It seemed like less. As said, not a regular reader.
Probably. I wonder, tho, if you started the first film with Pete watching the robber run by, how many in the audience wouldn't get it? Spidey's permeated pop culture pretty heavily. I'm reminded of the instance of a general (non-fan) audience seeing McCoy failing to neckpinch a guy, & everybody laughing.
I'd buy that, especially given their history in the book. (Please tell me you aren't thinking she knew all along.
)Sensible.
I like those.
I love this one.
Not seeing Danny hosting too many fundraisers, myself.
IMO you do need a meet with Misty Knight, & you can see Rafe Scarfe, Blackbyrd, & members of the 15th Squad (Dennis Franz & Jimmy Smits?) working crime scenes.
Sightings of Wolvie, Scott & Jeannie, Cage, & even Fu Manchu aren't out of the question, either. (Nor, I might add, are having Byrne as a crime victim... Nor posters of the Calgary Stampede or "X-Men 3" or something... {"Howard the Duck" playing at the Gem?})